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Proportion of expenses

How should one apportion their expenses on a stereo system, particularly at different levels of expense? For instance if you have 100,000 to spend should you spend 40% on the speakers 20% on the source 20% on the preamp and 20% on the amp or should it be some other combination (yes I'm making this up - not making a recommendation)?

It might be interesting to see at various price points. Like 10,000, 20,000, 50,000,100,000, 300,000 and unlimited. In some ways the question gets at what component is most important in different price ranges, in other ways it gets at the fact that the price/performance ratio is different among components.

A related question is where do you start in designing a system you want to build. Do you start with speakers and build back or source and build forward? Do you match precisely or get the best you can afford?

I was just curious.
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Showing 1 response by jbrrp1

jbrrp1
423 posts
 
I favor the notion of selecting the speakers first, because they truly limit what your system can do, there is great variation in their sonic portrayal and you need a speaker that works for you - - and the speaker/room interaction is critical to success.  It is really good to get really good at dialing speakers in to their optimal location within a room, so you will want to study and practice up on that.  Jim Smith has built a fine business based upon his experience and skill at just this.

I fully agree with Swampwalker:  once you select the right speakers for you and your room, then the speaker/amp interaction is the next thing to get right.  Matching the load of the speaker to the drive capability of the amp is key, and then you also need an amp that matches the sonic palette the way you like.

And, yes, I also think the preamp is "the heart of the system".  And who can argue that if the source cannot deliver it, nothing downstream can make up for that, so....

Oh, and I have allocated ~25% on the cables in my system; certainly not by plan, but by happenstance from comparing various options in my system and finding that they often make as much of a difference as a solid component upgrade.  I would never have predicted to end up in that circumstance, but I am happy that I did, given the results.

In the end, everything matters - - but I do think starting with the speakers in the room makes the best sense (certainly has for me).
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